Dallas Mavericks: The Rise Of Yogi Ferrell, And Realistic Expectations

On January 28th, former Indiana standout Yogi Ferrell didn’t have a job, now he has turned into a feel-good story for the Dallas Mavericks

First, let me explain Yogi Ferrell’s back story.

Ferrell was a four-year starter and phenom at Indiana, a known basketball school. We are talking about a kid that averaged 11 points and six assists as a true freshman in a very solid Big 10 basketball conference.

After that, though, he just kept getting better. He would go on to average 19.7 points per game, 5.6 assists per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in his next three seasons in Bloomington. Not only that but all four years Yogi was a winner.

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Yogi wouldn’t be drafted, sadly, not even in the second round. He would go on to sign with the Brooklyn Nets as an undrafted free agent. He was then waived Dec. 8th by Brooklyn, a decision that they probably now regret.

Since signing his Friday 10-Day contract with the Dallas Mavericks, Yogi Ferrell has been on a tear. Ferrell has played in only eight games, so less than his tenure in Brooklyn, but is doing infinite times better. His line through eight games so far is 15 PPG, 5 APG, 3 RPG, 2 SPG. He is also shooting 43 percent from the floor and 46 percent from three-point range.

That’s a real quality NBA starter on most NBA teams.

Not only has he been playing well, but the Mavericks have been winning. In the #YogiEra, the Mavericks are 6-2, with wins coming against the Spurs IN San Antonio, the Utah Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers – all premium quality teams.

Yogi has brought life to Dallas, in both his play and the locker room, which has seen them look like a solid NBA team for this stretch.

All of this has also led to success to his bank account. After the 10-Day contract, the Mavericks would ink the kid to a two-year deal. According to Spotrac, the Indiana native will make a little under $3M over the next two seasons. What a journey for him it has been.

The reality is, this Yogi saga will likely die down. He may still remain as a quality NBA player, possibly get better and see more money come his way, but hype dies down — just ask Jeremy Lin.

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But hey, Lin probably isn’t mad. He is on a fantastic contract and is having a quality NBA career, despite his hype dying down. So even if Yogi goes down that route, I am sure he will be happy with that compared to being out of the NBA or in the D-League.

Lastly, #LetsGoYogi.

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